INTERIOR & VERSATILITY 20 POINTS

FABIA is classy inside and has much more personality than Polo, with which it shares architecture (and drivetrains).

Capacious 505L cargo bay. Typically clever Skoda convenience features include a luggage net and compartment in the cargo bay, multimedia-device holder up front, and a waste bin in the door panel. 17/20 NEO feels a bit stripped-out against higher CX-3 variants, but the design is fresh and ergonomically Ė and logically Ė laid out. It betrays its light-car design origins with a 264L cargo capacity but canít touch the Fabia for hauling stuff.

Upswept side glass limits vision for back-benchers, who are otherwise well catered for in both mini-wagons. 16/20

PERFORMANCE & ECONOMY 20 POINTS

THESE two cars take unique paths to performance and economy, but arrive at similarly swift and frugal results.

Little 1.2 turbo Fabia is low on kilowatts, but low-down torque (160Nm) makes easy work of shifting 1087kg, and it sips just 4.8L/100km. The engine has a nice cammy character and spins sweetly for 0-100 in 10.9sec. 17/20 AN old-school atmo 2.0-litre wouldnít deliver competitive fuel economy, so Mazda has a thoroughly modern one.

More power and torque than the Skoda, and more performance, but that grunt and extra weight means higher consumption (6.3L/100km) in this FWD base model.

Both have sweet manual shifts. 16/20

RIDE & REFINEMENT 20 POINTS

FABIA is a supple tourer on standard 15s and still nicely absorbent on the Travel Packís 16s. Drum-tight body suppresses tyre, suspension and wind noise well. A Sports Pack that brings 17s and 15mm-lower sports suspension, removes some of the comfort in return for sharpened steering and chassis responses. 17/20 LACK of refinement is a decades-old Mazda bugbear, though recent generations have seen huge improvements.

The CX-3, like the new 2, is reasonably hushed place, just not as quiet as its rival. Ample suspension travel and well judged damping results in good ride comfort on patchy urban tar and lumpy country coarse-chip alike. 16/20

STEERING & HANDLING 20 POINTS

THE Fabia handles neatly and responds obediently, but lacks steering feel. However, itís terrifically capable for a light car with humble torsion-beam rear suspension and the harder you lean on the nose the better the steering gets. Pushing on fails to flummox the chassis and only the 66TSIís ultimate lack of grunt limits the fun factor. 16/20 CX-3 chassis is enthusiastic, but (unlike the Fabia) the keen steering is prone to kickback approaching the limit.

The extra straight-line performance enlivens the chassis to an extent thatís not possible in the Skoda (unless you upgrade to the 81TSI). CX-3 buyers also have to spend more (for an AWD version) for real entertainment. 16/20

POINTS SCORE

85/100 80/100

VERDICT

BABY SUVs are big in 2015, and the genre-defying CX-3 is among the coolest of this new breed. The Fabia wagon, meanwhile, emerges from left field as the pragmatistís pick of the light class. The Skoda is better equipped for the money, thriftier, roomy enough to do family car duty, and bound to be less common. The Mazda, set to be a top-seller, is quicker, sexier and a bit more fun. If youíre weighing them against each other, itíll be difficult to choose.

However, we suspect if youíre sold on the Mazdaís style youíll be blinkered to the Skoda. And if youíre compelled by the Fabiaís value and capacious practicality, the 241-litre cargo-carrying cost of CX-3 style will be too great.